I recently heard a teacher say "Your success is my success", speaking to students at a graduation ceremony. He was telling his students how much he wants them to discover great things, to have incredible adventures, and to know huge success.
I was struck between two disparate mindsets we can have toward our children, students, employees---those we lead and influence. In the first mindset, we place great value on maintaining control and status quo. We want things to look "neat" and in line. We hope to keep people in "their place," focusing on telling them when they err, or cross the line, or fall short.
In the second mindset, we place great value on individual gifts and inner gold. As a leader, we see ourself as one who "calls out the gold" in others and inspires them to try new things, take some risks, and think outside the lines. We teach them that they are important-- that they were created to change the world. We expect our children to exceed us in life, and when they do...we rejoice. We see that they have grown into something bigger and better than anyone had ever envisioned.
If we take the first road, wanting others to follow the rules and stay in their place, we are left with people who walk between the lines, who become smaller and less seen, people who live in "normal" and fit in. If we take the second road, we are faced with something more messy at times, less seemly...We may find ourselves in charge of a group of people who fail and fall short at times---but they also succeed and become more. We see them exceed our expectations and our own place in the world. We have children and students who become more in the world than we could have foreseen, who are world-changers and who influence the influential. They have their place with CEO's, government leaders, and kings. They have opportunities to make the world a better place by reaching great heights, and they in turn influence other children, students, employees...leaving our world filled with more and more gold.
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